Mason

Rudolph

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the deal is worth “up to” $3.6 million. Rudolph famously outplayed Kenny Pickett at the end of the 2023 season, closing the year with a three-game win streak and getting Pittsburgh into the opening round of the playoffs. They ultimately fell to the Bills in the Wild Card Round. He threw for 945 yards, five scores, and two interceptions in his four starts. Though Rudolph was clearly Pittsburgh’s best option last year, entering his seventh NFL season, there’s no upside to be unearthed with him. Rudolph will serve as the backup to another young quarterback in Tennessee, this time with Will Levis. Levis flashed as a rookie but struggled with consistency issues throughout his nine starts. If he doesn’t make progress in his second season, Rudolph could see some action with the Titans.

This was somewhat expected. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson gave his full endorsement of Mason Rudolph at the end of the season, saying, “I hope he gets the [starting] job next year,” after the season had concluded. Owner Art Rooney is also on record saying he hopes the team can re-sign Rudolph, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent. How deeply any “division” over the Steelers’ quarterback situation may run is anybody’s guess, but presumed starter and former first round pick Kenny Pickett is anything but a lock to lead the team for a full 17 games next season. Rudolph threw for 719-3-0 in three regular season starts, going 3-0 while inching them into the postseason. While it wasn’t an impressive line, Rudolph has clearly curried favor with some in the building. The Steelers would be wise to look for a complete upgrade at the position, but could have challenging days ahead if Pickett and Rudolph are the top two quarterbacks on the roster heading into training camp.

Rudolph will enter this offseason as an unrestricted free agent. The veteran quarterback started three games for the Steelers to close out their season, plus made the start in their Wild Card matchup against the Bills. Rudolph and the Steelers went 3-0 to force their way into the playoffs, while he threw for 719-3-0, but lost 31-17 in their lone playoff game. Interestingly, Rooney also said he’s not sure we’ve seen Rudolph’s ceiling as a player, which is quite the take on a player with 13 career starts over four seasons. The Steelers hope to get better play out of the quarterback position, whether that be from Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, or somebody else entirely. Pittsburgh’s passing game ranked near the bottom of the league in yards, touchdowns, and net yards per attempt but will need to show more in a division that features MVP Lamar Jackson and former No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow.

Tomlin noted in his interview that he would like Mason Rudolph to compete with Pickett for the Steelers’ QB1 job, but also pointed out that Rudolph is a free agent this offseason. The Steelers will likely make a push to re-sign Rudolph, but there’s no guarantee he will return to the team. With that said, a return to the Steelers in 2024 would be wise, as Rudolph played over a healthy Pickett in the AFC Wild Card loss to the Bills and has already received endorsements from several Steelers players, including wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Pickett has struggled in his first two seasons as a starter, throwing for 4,74-13-13 in 25 career games. Any legitimate competition between Pickett and another vet would likely result in Pickett opening Week 1 as the QB2 on the depth chart, but we are a long way from seeing how everything plays out. Whether Tomlin admits it or not, the Steelers are in quarterback purgatory until they find a way out of it.

It was not a great game from Rudolph, but he really only made one mistake on an interception in the end zone in the second quarter. He consistently avoided pressure in the pocket and made a couple of nice plays on the run. Rudolph won the last three games of the season and completed 55-of-74 passes (74.3 percent completion rate) for 719 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. His strong run at the end of the season may have given him a shot to sign somewhere as a free agent this offseason where he can compete for a starting job. It’s even possible that will be in Pittsburgh to compete against Kenny Pickett again. Regardless, he likely won’t be somebody to rely on for fantasy purposes.

Head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed as much during his Tuesday presser. Rudolph has revitalized the Pittsburgh offense with aggressive downfield throws to George Pickens and avoidance of sacks and turnovers that had plagued the team during the Kenny Pickett era. Rudolph hasn’t thrown a pick in three starts and his 74.5 percent completion rate is well above his career average. He leads the NFL in completion rate over expected over the past three weeks.

The 20 pass attempts were a reflection of stormy conditions and neutral-to-positive game script as the Steelers fed running back Najee Harris throughout. The lone bright spot for Rudolph was a 71-yard dart to Diontae Johnson at the start of the fourth quarter. Even so, Rudolph battled through the poor conditions enough to will the Steelers to the win and potentially save their season in the process. The Steelers will now be peeled to the screen on Sunday hoping for a Jacksonville or Buffalo loss, either of which would secure a Pittsburgh playoff berth.

Tomlin said Kenny Pickett’s health isn’t in question, but the team will ride with Rudolph in what is a must-win game for the Steelers. Rudolph has done well in his two starts with the Steelers, leading the team to a 2-0 record while throwing for 564 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in those games. Rudolph drawing the start all but suggests the Steelers will also be targeting a new quarterback this offseason, as Pickett has struggled to orchestrate much of an offense through his two seasons in the league. Rudolph and the Steelers will face a Ravens team that has already secured the No. 1 seed in the playoff race, which means they could opt to rest several starters as they head into the postseason.

Rudolph’s numbers came back down to earth this week, but he played well within the system and made key throws to help ice the game. When the Steelers got down near the goal line, they preferred to lean on the run game. Rudolph and the Steelers keep their playoff hopes alive as they head to Baltimore in Week 17.

Tomlin strongly implied this move earlier in the week, but now it’s official. Rudolph got the nod on Christmas and shredded the Bengals for 290 yards and two scores. It was arguably the best performance for a Pittsburgh quarterback this year. Having Rudolph under center gives the Steelers’ pass-catchers some upside in Week 17, but his blowup performance did come against a pathetic Cincinnati defense. A harder matchup with the Seahawks will be a better test for Rudolph and company.